[daigo]

Quote:

I picked up a 4 pack of Goose Island Pepe Nero and am anxiously awaiting trying it. The Bourbon County Stout is definitely at the top of my list of beers that I want to try. The store I bought the Nero from actually had a bottle of the Rare Bourbon County, but it was $100 for a 750ml, a tiny bit out of my price range.
 
The beer I am really keeping my eyes on is the Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout, which from what I can find will be sent from the factory around March 16. Something tells me it is going to be impossible to find though, but I guess I will have to see. I enjoyed the normal breakfast stout, but it isn't something I would go out of my way for. I am wondering if the bourbon aging will take it from meh to awesome though.
 
Has anyone else here tried it?
 

I like most of Goose Island's beers.  They do a good job with the Belgian style inspired beers in their line up, but their Bourbon County Brand Stout line is probably what they are best known for.  The regular Bourbon County Brand Stout is a bit too hot for me fresh, but smooths out into a thick smooth stout with a year or more on it.  The Coffee version just came out as well, but I haven't had a chance to try it. 
 
Kentucky Breakfast Stout is very good, but I hear it has been hard to get due to all the hype surround it and craft beer in general lately.  It is better than the regular Breakfast Stout with how the barrel aging softens up the harsher edges of coffee with some earthy barrel notes and sweeter vanilla.  Very tasty. 
 
 

 

[daigo]

Quote:

The Founders Porter sounds outstanding.  Where do you guys usually buy it?  I actually lived in Grand Rapids for a short while (10 years or so ago), but never heard of this place.  Of course, my taste in beer back then wasn't, shall we say, terribly elevated.

Founders unfortunately doesn't distribute to California, but I've had bottles sent to me before from a contact in Wisconsin. 

 

[zachary80]

Quote:

Ah, I've seen the coffee sediment in some bottles while in the store.  I just make sure I pick up a bottle that doesn't have anything in the bottom, though I don't really worry about the weasel poop coffee bean thing since it has been washed and roasted anyway.  I think a new batch of Beer Geek Brunch Weasel is hitting shelves here right now since I saw a notice from a local store that they just received more bottles. 
 
I hear GI's Lolita is decent (and the rest of their Three Sisters line up of wild ales, Madame Rose and Juliet).  Haven't really been tempted to go out of my way to acquire them yet since they are pricey for what they are.  That being said, I just went way out of my way (and budget) to trade for a bottle of Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout so take my opinions with a grain of salt

I'll try to update when I try a Lolita. Might open one tonight.
I never bought a Rare but did share one with a friend; great beer, but to me it was only a little bit better than regular BCS, which is more of a compliment to regular than a knock on Rare. I've spent a lot per ounce on certain beers but to me it's often worth it just to have tried it ($24 for a 500ml of Old Rasputin XIV, come on...)
 
 

 

I like most of Goose Island's beers.  They do a good job with the Belgian style inspired beers in their line up, but their Bourbon County Brand Stout line is probably what they are best known for.  The regular Bourbon County Brand Stout is a bit too hot for me fresh, but smooths out into a thick smooth stout with a year or more on it.  The Coffee version just came out as well, but I haven't had a chance to try it. 
 
Kentucky Breakfast Stout is very good, but I hear it has been hard to get due to all the hype surround it and craft beer in general lately.  It is better than the regular Breakfast Stout with how the barrel aging softens up the harsher edges of coffee with some earthy barrel notes and sweeter vanilla.  Very tasty. 
 
 

Agree on aging the BCS a bit, to me that and Expedition Stout both benefit greatly from a few months in the cellar.
 
KBS has gotten ridiculous, starting around last year. Prior to that it sat on the shelves for a while, now you pretty much have to be the first person to wander into the store, if they even put it on the shelf.

 

[warubozu]

 
Mikkeller Monk's Brew (aka Monk's Elixir), beer pours dark brown with a brown head that starts two fingers thick and last a while before thinning out. Leaves spotted lacing on the glass, has aromas of dark fruits, raisin, plum, and baked bread. Has a medium-light mouthfeel with not much carbonation. Taste cherries, carmel, toast, sweet malts, and a little alcohol (nothing too intense). This quad is on the sweet side (may be too sweet for some) with not much hop bitterness and is so easy to drink that it's dangerous. I liked it, would buy again.

 

[SixthFall]

Guiness, Polygamy Porter (from saltlake city), Richards red, Stella, Original 16

 

[zachary80]

Most interesting beers in the last week:
 
Hoppin Frog - Doris. Amazing, enourmous american imperial stout, pick it up without hesitation
Goose Island - Lolita. Huge let down for me. Overly thin, raspberries were weak, and it came off as overly tannic. Definitely not worth ~$18 a 650ml.
Dogfish Head - Bitches Brew. Love the album, like the beer. Gesho root and honey add some unique character to what would otherwise be a slightly above average sub-10% abv imperial stout. If it were a regular release I'd pick it up again but I wouldn't trade for another

 

[keanex]

Founders Porter is my second favorite porter in the world after Ballast Point's Victory at Sea, then again that's an imperial porter. I'll be able to get KBS though as long as my store gets it, I was able to get Founder's Curmudgeon's Better Half I'll be drinking soon enough. My store takes good care of me.

 

[Emlost]

After staying mostly in lurker mode here in the BEER-FI thread for over a year I'd like to pose a question to everyone who posts here.  I'll also try to explain where my question is coming from.
 
Does anyone here have formal training in the sensory evaluation of beer?
 

1. First of all I'm asking because I'm impressed with the descriptions of what people are tasting that they like. 
2. Second I'm asking because I've noticed that it's very rare for someone to describe any flaws or off flavors and aromas in certain beers where I know they are typically present.

 
I've found that when I drink and discuss beer with people who are just discovering craft beer that most people have an innate ability to recognize when something is wrong with a beer.  They don't know how to describe what the problem is but they know they dislike it somehow.
 
 

 

[rasmushorn]

The picture is from Berlin this weekend. Great tasting hefe weissbeer.

 

[sharkz]

I'm finally finished with the medicine that has been keeping me from enjoying beer the past few months. In celebration, I picked up two good looking beers today. First is Uncommon Brewing Bacon Brown Ale. As a huge bacon fan, I wouldn't be able to respect myself if I didn't at least give it a try. The second is the Innis and Gunn Irish Whiskey Stout. This is another one I am anxious to try, I really like their other three beers. I will have to report back with my thoughts on these two unconventional beers as soon as I get to try them.
 
Also on my radar is the release of the Founders Kentucky Bourbon Stout. I spoke to the manager of the local giant beer store today and was told they haven't been given a date, usually they just get a days warning and it shows up on a random week day. So I guess my plan will be to call every few days and hope I can grab a pack. If anyone here hears of its release at a local store, please give a heads up!

 

[daigo]

Quote:

After staying mostly in lurker mode here in the BEER-FI thread for over a year I'd like to pose a question to everyone who posts here.  I'll also try to explain where my question is coming from.
 
Does anyone here have formal training in the sensory evaluation of beer?
 

1. First of all I'm asking because I'm impressed with the descriptions of what people are tasting that they like. 
2. Second I'm asking because I've noticed that it's very rare for someone to describe any flaws or off flavors and aromas in certain beers where I know they are typically present.

 
I've found that when I drink and discuss beer with people who are just discovering craft beer that most people have an innate ability to recognize when something is wrong with a beer.  They don't know how to describe what the problem is but they know they dislike it somehow.
 
 

If by formal training, you mean the cicerone training program, I would think most people don't have official training unless they work in the beer or food service industry.  I think people are mainly just tasting beer and describing what the flavors remind them of.  The yeasts and ingredients used for brewing beer can create a myriad of flavors and everyone's taste buds and experiences will be unique, so it's fun to read what other people's impressions are. 
 
Personally, I am a pretty big beer geek now, and read too much beeradvocate.com and ratebeer.com.  It helps to get a general idea of the types of flavors each style of beer should evoke, and see if those flavors come out while drinking it.  It is usually easy to detect off flavors like sourness (infected beers with wild yeasts and bacteria, for styles that were not intentionally sour), buttery notes (beer brewed at too high a temperature usually, forming diacetyl), and metallic notes.
 

 

[Eee Pee]

Yeah I have no idea what I'm talking about really.  I smell it up close, I swish around the first few swigs, then drink the rest and try to pick out flavors.  Then I read other's opinions on ratebeer and beeradvocate and see how I did/compare.  

 

[AltairDusk]

Quote:

After staying mostly in lurker mode here in the BEER-FI thread for over a year I'd like to pose a question to everyone who posts here.  I'll also try to explain where my question is coming from.
 
Does anyone here have formal training in the sensory evaluation of beer?
 

1. First of all I'm asking because I'm impressed with the descriptions of what people are tasting that they like. 
2. Second I'm asking because I've noticed that it's very rare for someone to describe any flaws or off flavors and aromas in certain beers where I know they are typically present.

 
I've found that when I drink and discuss beer with people who are just discovering craft beer that most people have an innate ability to recognize when something is wrong with a beer.  They don't know how to describe what the problem is but they know they dislike it somehow.
 
 

I certainly don't.  The only "training" I've had was a very quick description/instruction on looking at the beer in the light and smelling it before tasting then observing how the head stays on the side of the glass after a sip when I took a tour of the Baxter Brewing brewery while visiting my parents back in Maine.  That probably makes it sound like more instruction than I actually got, what I said there is pretty much what we were told with slight elaboration.  I certainly couldn't write a review like some of the ones I've seen on beer advocate with the in depth descriptive terms but I can definitely tell what I like and don't like.  
 
I've been getting more into craft beers lately, I used to think that meant Sam Adams instead of Bud Light. 

  I'm a little further than that now, currently enjoying a Riverhorse Tripel Horse and there's some Dogfish Head, Rogue, Ommegang, and Troegs in the fridge waiting for me.
 

 

[keanex]

I don't think there's really much in the way of training as our senses are completely subjective. Some people taste certain hops as aspirin, while others pick up heavy citrus, it's odd but true. The key is learning how to taste though and what helps this is knowing a few steps:
 
Step One - Smell. This is the most important thing as your taste is highly affected by your smell. This is a huge reason why pouring beer into a glass usually tastes better than cans/bottles as well since you can smell it better.
Step Two - Take a small sip and let the flavor roll over your tongue. Sweet is up-front, salty is the upper corners, sides is sour, and the back is bitter. Learning where the tastes, generally, come from will allow you to pick flavors out easier as you know when/where to expect them. 
Step Three - Take your time, enjoy the beer. As the beer warms up it's profile will change a bit and it will allow you to appreciate it differently.
 
That's just some tips, I'm no pro or anything, but I think they are good guidelines. 
 
Edit: The tongue map isn't something to follow fully as tastebuds are also found in other parts but the heavier concentration of them are where I said.

 

[El_Doug]

I just procured Bourbon County Stout, Coffee Stout, and Bramble Rye in my collection - once I have a night special enough to crack them open, I'll share my comments